Seeking You
by Jillian Jacobs
Summary: Complete! Lily and James coming together, and their fights along the way. Takes place in the pair's seventh year.
1. Better luck next time

**Disclaimer**:  None of this shiz is mine; so don't be thinkin' it is…

**A/N**:  This I my first fan fiction, so be kind….and don't forget to review!!

Better Luck Next Time

            James Potter strutted confidently onto platform 9 ¾, scanning the area for his three best friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.  Not seeing any of them in the crowd James turned around to say goodbye to his parents.  His mother then captured him in a bone-crushing hug, clinging to him like there was no tomorrow. 

"Be good, dear."  Mrs. Potter said when she finally released James from her suffocating grip. She then continued with a small smile and a pointed threatening finger at him.  "And if I hear you've put one toe out of line, I will personally write a letter to Mr. Filch, giving him permission to hang you by your toenails.  Understood?"

James smiled at his mother's false threat.

"I'll behave, Mums.  I promise."

James then faced his father.  He stuck out his hand for a firm handshake and then laughed at his father grabbed the extended appendage and pulled his son into a bear hug.

"Make me proud, son."  His father said, clapping him on the back.

"I will, Dad."

With that his parents disappeared through the barrier of the muggle world, and James was left to his own musings for his final year at Hogwarts.  He bent his lanky seventeen-year-old form and began to drag his trunk towards the vivid scarlet train.  On the way, he finally ran across a member of the Marauders. 

"Greetings Wormtail!"  exclaimed James, slapping his friend on the back.

Peter made a spastic twist to the left to face his idol, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath from the shocking salutation.

"Simmer down, mate!  It's just me!"  said James, giving a hearty laugh.

"Hullo, James," Peter replied in his squeaky voice.  "Was your summer okay?"

"Just fine as a matter of fact."

            James looked around the platform distractedly while Wormtail rattled on about his own summer, searching for a bouncy red head with piercing green eyes.  He spotted her struggling with her trunk, attempting to pull it up on the train.

"Hey Peter…would you be a sport and haul this into our compartment for me?"  Pointing to his trunk.  "Thanks Pete."  He said, not even bothering to see if Peter said yes, knowing he would be quivering excitedly at being able to help James out.  James then strode purposefully toward Lily Evans, the girl he's been after since fifth year, to help her out with her luggage.

                      Lily's POV               

Lily Evans struggled hopelessly with her trunk, trying with all her might to pull the reluctant luggage onto the train.

"This stupid thing seems to get heavier every year," Lily mumbled to herself.

"Tell me about it," said a husky male voice from behind her.  A voice she knew all too well.

She ceased the uphill battle with her trunk, and turned slowly around to face the infamous James Potter.

"Potter," Lily said in greeting, giving a curt nod.

"Hello, Evans," said James, giving Lily a brilliant grin.

Lily found herself staring fixedly at the owner of that disarming smile, remembering the previous year at Hogwarts.  James had given up asking her out every chance he got about half way through their sixth year, and she had noticed a definite a change in his mannerisms.  He had slowly stopped cursing everyone that got on his nerves…well, except for Snape, but who could blame him, really?  Sure, he was still cheeky and rather cocky, but that's what made James, James.  As she sunk deeper into her memories, a small smile began to play on her lips, recalling the good times of last year.

"Uh…. Evans?"  James gently prompted.

Lily quickly snapped out of her reverie.

"Well!  What do you want?"

"Simply to relieve your burden," James said, nodding towards her trunk and holding up his hands to show he meant no harm.

"Oh…" Lily's eyes softened for a moment, looking at her glorified 'savior'.  And she once more found herself noticing how much James had changed since last year.  He had grown since she had last seem him, leaving him at a lanky six feet, towering over her 5' 6 frame.  His perpetually messy black hair fell into his hazel eyes, which were framed by a new pair of silver rimmed glasses.

Lily then shoved James forcefully from her mind, giving her head a righteous shake.  "_Enough with the nostalgia already!_"  Lily told herself.

"Are you going to help me or not!?"  Lily asked him as he stood in front of her stupidly.

"With pleasure," James responded, giving her a deep mock bow.  He then shot up and grabbed Lily's trunk, hoisting it up the train steps in one fluid motion. 

Lily climbed up the steps after him, silently admiring his blatant show of athleticism. 

"Think you can take it from here?"  James implored, running a calloused hand through his mane.

"Yes," was Lily's clipped response. 

Then she did something completely out of character, at least when it came to James Potter.  She flipped her long auburn locks over her shoulder and gave him a dazzlingly gorgeous smile. 

"Thank you, James."  Lily added in a silky voice.

James gave her a confused, lopsided grin and bounded to the end of the train.  Lily watched him as he went, wondering what had gotten into her.  She never called him James.  It was some unwritten law of the universe, surnames only.

"Whatever," Lily mumbled, writing off the strange encounter as nothing more than back to school nerves.  She then set off to find an empty compartment.

                      James' POV               

"Oy, James!"

James looked in the direction of the call, spotting Sirius Black sticking his head out of a compartment.  James quickly slid into the compartment, taking note that there were no other passengers in this particular patch of space.

"Where's Moony, Padfoot?"

"He said something about going to find his Ravenclaw friend…uh…what's her name?  You know….Lily's friend."

"Gwendolyn?'  James offered.

"Yeah!  That's the one!  Said he wanted to get 'reacquainted' with her."  Sirius snorted.  "I'll bet he wanted to get 'reacquainted' with her, in all kinds of different ways."  Giving a suggestive wiggle with his eyebrows.

"Control that imagination of yours, mate!"  James laughed.

At that moment Peter came scurrying in with James' and his trunk, looking like he was about to pass out.

"Here…. you…. go…. Prongs."  Peter said between pants.

"Thanks Wormtail."  James said, sprawling out on one side of the compartment, Sirius and Peter sitting across from him.

As soon as they were settled in nicely the compartment door slid open.  All three boys looked up, surprised Moony would be back from his adventures so soon.  But as soon as looked up, their shock factor was doubled when they found a thin, redheaded girl with emerald green eyes in to doorway.

"Hey, um…Gwen is a little, well, busy in our compartment…" Lily paused until Sirius was down guffawing.  "And I can't seem to find Linnea, so I was wondering…"

But what she was wondering they never found out, for at that moment the train gave a sudden lurch as it started its journey, causing Lily to topple over.  She landed across James, pressing her hands against his chest for support, their faces centimeters apart.  Time seemed to stop for the two of them, as they stared into each other's eyes, mesmerized.  Unfortunately, at the moment, James' mouth decided it wanted in on the action.

"You know Lily, " James said, inching even closer to Lily's parted lips.  "If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask."  James finished, just as their lips were about to touch.

But James had said the wrong thing.  Lily was off of him in an instant, steam practically come out of her ears such was her anger.

"Potter!  You…. I…never!  You can't just! - Your fault…stupid train!"  Lily fumed, apparently unable to complete an entire sentence.  Her eyes narrowed to slits out of anger and she finished with a frustrated "Ugh!!!!" then stormed out of the compartment.  Probably going to kick Remus out of her compartment.

James looked at Sirius, baffled.

"What'd I do?"

Sirius gave him an appreciative chuckle, looking amused.

"Better luck next time, Prongs."

**A/N**- Alright people!  Here's the first chapter, hope you liked it!  I myself am a bit fonder of chapter two…but, ah well…


	2. An unexpected Head Boy

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of this shiz, so don't be thinkin' that I do…

An Unexpected Head Boy

The rest of the train ride passed without event, with the exception of when one Severus Snape paid the Marauders a visit.  As result, Snivelus was the victim of a well placed Jelly Legs curse, and he remained in that state until Remus finally took pity on him in the entrance hall.

"Aw, what'd you do that for?"  Sirius whined.  "I was enjoying that!"

"Must you be constantly entertained, Padfoot?" Remus asked his friend wearily.

James watched his friends, amusement sparkling in his hazel eyes as they continued to bicker.  James looked around the familiar Great Hall and automatically made his way towards the Gryffindor table.  He sat at their usual spot in the middle of the table, as they tended to be the center of attention.  James ran a hand through his hair as he made himself comfortable, a habit he had gotten into his second year and couldn't seem to break.  As he did so, Lily shot him an evil glare from a few seats down. He quickly returned his hand to the table, remembering too late that that particular habit drover her mad.

He then turned his gaze to the head table, where Albus Dumbledore, the greatest living wizard in James' opinion, sat in deep conversation with Professor McGonagal, the young transfiguration teacher.  They finished whatever words they were saying in a short minute, though, and the young witch went off to collect the first years.

Sure enough, a few minutes later some sixty or so eleven year olds tripped nervously into the Great Hall as McGonagal brought in a spindly stool and a rather frayed and dirty wizards hat.  The line of first years came to a halt in front of the tables, staring with terrified eyes at the hat now sitting in front of them.  The rest of the students turned to the hat expectantly as a rip in the hat opened wide and began to sing.

"Welcome Hogwarts students

To another year.

Now's the time for sorting,

So listen without fear;

I'm the sorting hat you see.

I'm smarter than a cup!

And it's my job to tell you,

Where you will end up;

For the brave and cunning

There is old Gryffindor.

Whose daring, nerve, and chivalry,

All are traits of lore;

Or maybe Hufflepuff's for you,

Where patience is the key.

Hufflepuffs are just and true

Disloyal they'll never be;

But Ravenclaw perhaps you'll find,

Is the better fit.

Sharp minds are what are favored,

And a ready wit.

You might belong in Slytherin

If you've a ready mind.

Those of swift and cunning

Here will find their kind;

So put me on your little head!

It cannot be waylaid.

For it's my job to place you

While our thoughts I raid."

After the hat finished it's little ditty, it bowed deeply to each of the four house tales as the hall filled with applause, then slumped lifelessly unto the stool.  McGonagal then addressed the rather relieved looking first years.

"As I call your name, please sit on the stool whilst putting on the hat.  Au, Anton!"

"RAVENCLAW!"  The hat shouted immediately, and the table on the far left burst into applause.

"Azow, Bekah!"

As James watched Bekah also join the Ravenclaw table, his mind began to wander.  HE looked over at Sirius, who was gazing at the golden plates with a glazed yet concentrated look, as if willing them to be filled.  His eyes then skimmed over Peter and Remus, who were watching the sorting with only a semi-disguised look of disinterest.  Then he found his sight set once more on Lily Evans.  Unlike most of the seventh years, she put her all into cheering for each of the new Gryffindors, as if it were her personal responsibility to make them feel welcome.

He wasn't sure how long he had been staring at her, but his attention was quite suddenly pulled back to the sorting as McGonagal finished with Zachers, Ewan.  (Hufflepuff)  With all the first years seated, Dumbledore stood.

"I shant bother you with an old mans wandering wonderings just yet.  Tuck in."

With that, mountains of food appeared on the tables.  James busied himself with a rather large portion of roast and potatoes, followed by a delicious strawberry trifle until Dumbledore stood once more once he was sure everyone had eaten themselves to oblivion.

"Now, for a few start of term notices.  First years are to know that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to _all students._"  Dumbledore gave a pointed look towards the Gryffindor table, and Sirius leaned towards James indignantly.

"You'd think he didn't trust us or something…"

"Also, quidditch try-outs will be held for the house quidditch teams in the first week of October for those in second year and above.  Please see your respective quidditch captains for further details.  And lastly, a very special announcement indeed.  Some of you may have noticed, as there isn't someone strutting around the castle like they own the place, that a head boy and girl have yet to be selected.  For the first time in over thirty years, the head boy and girl are from the same house, and I felt this deserved some special attention."

James gave Remus suggestive shove on the arm, figuring it must be the young werewolf and Lily.

"Please join me in honoring are new heads, Lily Evans and James Potter!"

Lily's POV

"No, no, nononononono…. not him…" was all that Lily could think as the Hall erupted into cheers. 

She forced a smile on her face, hoping it covered up her previous look of bewilderment.  She looked down the table, where James sat with the same look of astonishment she had just wiped off her face, and the applause was deafening.

"Yes, yes.  Congratulations to the both of them.  If you both will be so kind as to meet with me for your badges and assignments, the rest of you may waddle off to bed."

With the finish of Dumbledore's speech the students began filing out of the hall, the first years in quivering clumps following the prefects.  Lily looked down at the now cleared table and dropped her head repeatedly onto the hard surface.

_BANG_

_BANG_

_BANG_

_BANGBANGBANG_

"Uh…Evans?"

Lily groaned at the interruption to her self-inflicted torture, knowing it could only be Potter, as everyone else was scrambling gout of the Great Hall.  Even her best friend Linnea had left her to fend for herself with James.

"Yes, Potter?"

"Well, Dumbledore just pointed in the general direction of his office and told us to meet him, and I wasn't sure if you had heard due to your, er- previous activity."

Lily blushed slightly at the reference to her little tantrum but quickly got the blood flow to her cheeks under control.

"Alright, let's go then."

Lily stood abruptly from the table and stalked off towards the doors, making sure she stayed at least three steps ahead of 'his arrogance.'

James' POV

It must be that time of the month.

This was the only explanation James could come up with for Lily's odd behavior.  James had to work his long legs hard to keep up with Lily's quick pace, and even then she somehow managed to stay a few paces ahead of him.

He just didn't understand what was going on with her.  Just when he thought Lily was warming up to him she turned colder than an owl on an iceberg.

"Oy, Evans!  Wait up!"

Lily spun around to glare at him in response.

"Aw, come on Lily.  What'd I do?"

"You're being…" Lily stopped, apparently searching for the best word to describe James' insolence.

"You're being…YOU!  And since when did you start calling me Lily!" she screamed at him, as if calling her by her first name was a tool of the devil.  Deciding this was a sufficient explanation, Lily whipped around and continued on her path to Dumbledore's study.

James followed her at a slower pace, letting her gain the distance she so desperately insisted she keep between them, and eventually made it to his destination.  He sat through there meeting in a daze, only half listening to the headmasters words, and was highly relieved when they were dismissed back to their common room.  He quickly made his way through the halls to stand in front of the fat lady.  He muttered the password (Tinderblast), and found his way to his private head boy quarters at the base of the boy's dormitory stairs. 

James threw himself on his four-poster bed thinking, "At least being head boy has some perks," in a rather bitter tone of thought.

He just couldn't understand why Lily all of a sudden redoubled her efforts to display her hatred of him.  This was definitely something he needed to talk over with his fellow Marauders.

He pulled himself off the bed with much effort and slowly climbed his way towards the seventh year boy's dormitories.  He entered to find his three friends having a heated discussion over the latest issue of _Perilous Pranks for Pompous Pigheaded Prats_.

"No!  I'm telling you two parasitic sacks of Puffskein intestines will make our Fungus Formula _ten times_ more powerful!"

"Padfoot," James said upon his entrance, "If our Fungus Formula was any stronger our targets will be getting chopped up in the kitchen to use in a bowl of cream of mushroom soup."

"Good idea Prongs!  I'll be sure to slip a dose into Snivelus' pumpkin juice."

"Padfoot," Remus put his two knuts in, smiling wickedly.  "I think you best watch your schemes, a you are now in the presence of the Head Boy."

"Oh, shut up Moony."  James said as he whipped a pillow at Remus.

"So Prongsy," Peter jumped into the conversation.  "What are your duties as master of the house?"

"Oh, you know," James started, sprawling out on Sirius's bed.  "Have to patrol the halls with Lily almost every night…"

"Doesn't sound so bad to me…" Sirius interjected, earning him a glare from James.

"…checking for students out of bed…" but James was forced to stop once more, as all four boys burst out laughing, knowing full well it was them that usually roamed the corridors after hours.  When James reigned in his laughter, he continued. 

"I also have to co-run the bi-weekly prefect meeting, and…erm…keep the student body under control in general."

The Marauders could contain themselves no longer.  Peter collapsed onto the floor in a fit of giggles and Sirius was clutching a pillow to his chest as tears of mirth streamed down his cheeks.  Even Remus, usually more reserved than the others, was clutching his stomach to soothe the knot of laughter overtaking him.  Finally, they got themselves under control.

"So Prongs…"Remus began, "What brings you up here to the lowly commoners dorm?"

"What…a guy needs an excuse to visit his best mates now?!"

"So girl trouble then?"  Peter sniggered.

"Ah," Remus chuckled.  "I believe our short friends has pinned the tail on the hippogriff.  It's Lily then, is it?"

James merely grunted in response to Remus' astute conclusion.

"Aw…" Sirius sighed, batting his eyelashes at James.  "Does our Prongsy still have a crushypoo on our darling Lily flower?"

"Didn't you get over her last year, James?" Peter asked.  "You stopped asking her out anyway."

"I thought I had…"

"Well then, what are you going to do about it?"  Remus questioned.

"Attempt to ignore it?"  James responded, cocking an eyebrow and looking at Remus hopefully.

"Some how I don't think that's going to work."

"Well, what else am I going to do!?" James shouted, dragging a hand through his hair.  "She hates me!  She thinks I am the mot arrogant, self-serving, womanizing git in the wizarding world!"

Remus sat looking at James, waiting for him to calm down.

"Are you done now?"

James nodded apologetically.

"Here are a few counter points, if you will.  We all know that you cannot be _the_ biggest womanizer in the wizarding world, as Sirius definitely has you beat and is still going strong…"

Sirius grinned at his growing reputation that he had worked so hard to achieve.

"Yeah, mate.  You're good, but…come on!"  Sirius joked, throwing his arms up as if daring James to find a fault.

James sniggered at Sirius's cockiness. "Okay, you got me there, but you can't deny the rest of what I said was truth, at least in her eyes."

"So…"  Remus stopped, thinking for a moment.  "What you need to do is…change her perception." He finished, saying the last bit as if this was the easiest and most obvious thing to do in the world.

"You say that like it's an easy task to accomplish."

"Start with the little things first.  Apologize for our actions on the train, for example…" Remus said, giving James a pointed look, and leaving him wondering how he had heard about that little incident.  "Other than that…just don't be such a git."

"Oh, thanks Moony."  James said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  "If that's all, then I'm off to bed."

With that he strode toward the dormitory door, but spun around just as he it.   He screwed his face into a stern look, strongly resembling Professor McGonagal's, and raised his voice an octave.

"Now make sure you kiddies get enough sleep.  You have a big day tomorrow, and I_ will not tolerate_ any misbehavior."

James then winked and dashed down the stairs to his won room to mull over Remus' advice, leaving his friends as they laughed their arses off.

A/N- Alright, well here's chapter two.  I really enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!  Exams are coming up, so I don't know how soon I'll be able to update, but hopefully it will be soon.  Constructive criticism is always welcome, so don't forget to review!!


	3. The Vision

**Disclaimer**:  I don't own none o' this shiz, so don't you be thinkin' dat it izzzz

**A/N:**  Here is the third chapter…Sorry it took so long, I've had a severe case of writers block, and I just couldn't seem to settle on the plot.  (Although plots aren't really necessary, right?) I think it's rather funny, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  And a big thanks to my one reviewer, EyesofEmerald.  You made me go fuzzy all over, lol.  For all you other slackers who read and didn't review, shame on you…anywho, with out further adieu….

I have replaced this chapter, for I noticed an inconsistency as I was rereading my work, searching for inspiration to write chapter seven.  I'm surprised nobody noticed it actually, as I had mentioned three of the Marauders took divination, yet only two were found in class…ah well, it's fixed now…

_The vision_

"Linnea!"  Lily yelled, whipping a pillow at the lump on the bed across from hers.  "Wake up!  I need to talk to you."

Linnea rolled over in her sleep, clutching the pillow to her chest and mumbling to herself.  Lily strained to hear her words.

"Oh, Sirius…you don't have to be so rough…"

Lily cocked an eyebrow in her best friends direction, cracking an amused grin as Linnea murmured for Sirius to come back to bed.

Deciding she didn't want to know any more about the other girl's smarmy fantasies, Lily drew herself from her bed and ripped the blankets off her friend.  This successfully got Linnea's attention.  She cracked open a sleep filled eyelid and glared at Lily.

"Why, pray tell, did you do that?  I didn't have to be up for another…"  She glanced at her watch, "one minute and forty seven seconds.  How rude…"

"Well gee, Linnea.  Call me crazy, but I didn't fancy hearing about your nighttime trysts with one Sirius Black."

Linnea's face brightened at the mention of her secret love, but paled considerable after she comprehended what Lily had said.

"What…?  What?"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," said Lily, wrapping her arms around herself and moaning.  "Oh, Sirius…don't stop…yeah, right there…"

Lily was quickly cut off from her impression by a well-placed pillow in the head.

"Keep it up," Linnea threatened, "And next time it'll be your copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ hurling towards your cranium.  I do not like Sirius Black!"

"You, my friend, are in some Sirius denial."

Lily sighted and sat back down on her bed, studying her friend to take in her new appearance.  She had colored and chopped her hair over the summer, so it now glowed a vibrant auburn, and stuck out in all directions at about nose level.  Her height hadn't changed, however.  She still stood at an infinitesimal 5'4.  Her eyed had remained the same also.  A beautiful hazel with flecks of green and gold, almost like James'.  Only his were a bit more striking, set off by his dark hair, which was constantly hanging in those gorgeous eyes…

"Ah!" Lily shrieked.  "Get out of my brain!"

" 'S matter?"  Linnea asked groggily, sitting up once more on the bed.  Apparently she had dozed off once more during Lily's little daydream about James.

"Potter," Lily spat, as if this explained it all.

"Oh, yes.  I _completely_ understand _now_."

Lily just rolled her eyes.

"Well, what is it exactly that's bothering you about him?  Is he asking you out again?"

"No."

"Pranking everyone in his path?"

"No."

"Beating you with the blunt end of a broomstick?"

"No!"

"Then what is your issue!?"

"He's being…James."  Lily answered lamely.

It was now Linnea's turn to roll her eyes.  "Of course!  A fantastic reason to hate someone! For being themselves…honestly."

"You know how much he bugs me with his-his arrogance, and his cruelty…" _And his incredible hottness_, Lily added to herself.

"You know what I think, Lils?  Maybe you should try to be friends with him this year.  I mean, he's not particularly mean anymore, and he is head boy, so you'll be spending a lot of time together.  It'd probably be in your best interests just to get along.  Now hurry up and get dressed.  I'm hungry."

The two girls dressed hurriedly and made their way down to the Great Hall.  Much to Linnea's delight, and Lily's dismay, the Marauders were already holding court at the Gryffindor table, greeting the many people who came to pay their respects upon their return to Hogwarts.

Lily took a seat as far away from James as possible, so as not to be distracted from her kippers when he showed off his many assets.

"Look at them," Lily spat, disgust in her voice.

"I am," Linnea said, with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"You're useless," Lily teased with a smile.

Linnea shrugged, as if she'd known that for ages, and continued to stare down the table.

"If you like him so much, why don't you just ask him out?"

Linnea tore her gaze away from Sirius to stare at her friend, with a look on her face that much resembled a unicorn caught in the headlights.

"Shh!  There is a reason why this is a _secret_ crush_!  Because it's secret!_"

"Wimp."

"You're not so brave yourself Lils.  Who've you asked out lately?"

"I'm not interested in anyone at the moment," Lily responded, trying to sound aloof.

Linnea simply rolled her eyes again.  There seemed to be a lot of that going on this morning.

"Just seems to me that we've got a small case of pot calling the cauldron black…"

Lily decided to quickly change the subject before Linnea decided to delve deeper into that particular subject.  "So, what've we got first this week?'

Linnea glanced down at their schedule and then moaned pitifully.  "Ugh, double potions first thing?  Kill me.  Please, just kill me now.  And we're still with the Slytherins.  This is going to be one hell of a year…"

"Is there some sort of unwritten rule somewhere that says Gryffindors and Slytherins must be together in potions?  If there is, I'd like to motion for an appeal…do we make up for it in the afternoon?"

"Sorry to say, but no.  After lunch you go to divination and me to ancient runes."

Those were the only two classes the two friends didn't share.  Lily, being muggle born, did not realize that divination was in actuality a load of dragon dung, and her dear friend hadn't bothered to inform her.  To worsen the matter, the only Gryffindors taking the subject in seventh year were James Potter, and Sirius Black.  And, to worsen the matter ever the more, Lily usually ended up partnering with this insufferable know it all Ravenclaw named Aaron Seeburger.

"But never fear!"  Linnea deadpanned, and Lily returned from her thoughts.  "For after that, we'll have a rousing session of History of Magic!"

Lily groaned and stood from the table, taking one last bite of toast.

"Let's get this day over with."

Oh how she hated Mondays.

James made his way from the Great Hall accompanied by his fellow Marauders.  He couldn't say he was particularly pleased with the first part the Gryffindor class schedule, but the second half was prime time for napping.

The four boys made their way down to the dungeons with the rest of the Gryffindor seventh years.  As they made their way deeper into the castle, James could feel the temperature slowly dropping, and by the time they reached the classroom, James had goose bumps on his forearms.  He was in for a long, cold couple of hours.

Amazingly enough, though, the frigid class passed quickly enough, and before James knew it, they had eaten lunch and he, Sirius, and Peter, were making their way to the top of North tower.

"So, Padfoot old friend, are you ready for another year of make believe and the best naps you'll ever take?"

"Reckon I am, Prongs," Sirius responded, climbing through the trap door.  "Reckon I am…"

The two boys walked through the stuffy classroom and sat themselves on two poufs as far away as possible from Madame Majesta, their professor.

Its not that they didn't like her…but actually…yeah, they didn't.  The woman was a little creepy.  She constantly talked in a fake misty voice and kept predicting an early death for Lily.  While it was fun to watch Lily's face go ashen the first time, she and quickly realized that divination was a load of crock.  As a result, she had resorted to giving Madame Majesta withering looks.  This wasn't nearly as interesting to James.

"Greetings, my dears," came Majesta's misty voice as soon as the class had settled in.  "I was consulting my crystal late last night, and to my surprise, I saw us starting with a review.  Today we will be revisiting the crystal ball, so kindly turn your attentions towards them."

James looked into the swirling mass of fog and sighed exasperatedly.

"You first, or shall I?"

"Be my guest, Prongs," Sirius said graciously.

James leaned very far over the crystal ball and looked into it with a mimed look of concentration.

"I don't believe it!"  James exclaimed, bending closer to the ball.  "I see something…"

"Don't be thick, James.  Of course you don't."

"No, really!"  James insisted.  "It's a person…no, an ogre…no wait, a person.  He's just an ugly git…he's tall…shaggy black hair…maybe blue eyes…"

"Go on!"  Sirius encouraged, excited at least someone had finally seen an actual vision.

"And he changes into a flea-ridden mutt once a month…"

"I don't have flea's you great prat!"  Sirius laughed, cottoning on.

James leaned back into his pouf with a smile to let Sirius have a go and immediately turned his eyes to Lily.  She wasn't sitting far from them, only a few poufs down.  She was partnered, as usual, by a Ravenclaw named Aaron Seeburger.  He wasn't a bad guy, really, aside from the fact that he had an ego to rival James' own.

Although James did seem to hate him rather a lot right now, as he was sitting very near Lily, apparently murmuring in her ear what he saw in the crystal.  James' stomach did a funny little flip flop at the pair huddled so close.  He felt his hands form fists and was seriously considering giving Aaron an up close and personal view of one of them when Lily shoved him away from her, rolling her eyes.

"For Merlin's sake, Aaron!  You're never going to see any prophecy in a crystal ball, let alone one involving you, me, and a broom closet…"

"_Oh good_," James thought dully. "_So it's not just me she refuses to go out with_."

"My dear!" came Madame Majesta's voice, her misty tones floating through the room. She had joined Lily and Aaron, gazing with interest at the red-headed girl.  "Have the fates revealed a secret to you, my little pet?"

"No," Lily answered waspishly.

"Well then have a look!  Open your Inner Eye and See what they have to offer…"

Every person's attention was fixed on Lily as she sighed and leaned over her crystal ball.

"That's it, that's it…"  Majesta sighed.  "Just breathe and lose yourself in the fog that is the future."

Lily looked into the crystal with an almost bored expression on her face.  And then it changed.  Her expression that is.  Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she put both hands on the crystal ball, practically pressing her nose to the thing.

"No…" she scoffed, in an amazed sort of voice, bringing the glass ball still nearer.  She looked into it for a few more seconds, her lips doing a funny sort of wordless movement.

"No!  That would never happen!"

Lily pushed the crystal ball as far away down the table as she could and quickly stood form her pouf, grabbing her bag.  James just looked at her in worriedly, she was really freaking out!

"What my dear!  What did you see?"

Lily cast a terrified look at James, and he held her gaze, wondering what in Hades' name she had just seen.  But Lily quickly broke off their staring contest, mumbling something about a headache before bolting to the exit.

"Wait!  I must interpret the vision the Fates have most generously bestowed upon you!"

But it was too late.  Before Majesta had even finished her plea Lily slammed the trap door and James could hear her climbing quickly down the ladder.

"Well, I never…"  Majesta huffed, clearly off put by Lily's odd behavior.

"What was that all about?"  James asked, still staring at the spot Lily had previously occupied.

"I dunno, mate," Sirius answered.  "I expect she _actually saw_ something in a crystal ball, and that's enough to freak anybody out…"

"But why did she look at me like that?"

"Suspect it involved you, Prongs."  Sirius answered logically.

Lily stormed through the halls of Hogwarts, not really caring where she was going, until finally she slumped down onto the stairs leading up to the Gryffindor Tower and buried her head in her hands.  _"Why?"_ She thought, _"Why do my dreams have to follow me wherever I go?"_


	4. Of denial and arguments

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything having to do with Harry Potter, as I'm sure you already know.

**A/N-** Sorry for the wait! You all liked the third chapter so much I was scared to write this next one. This chapter's a bit short, and is way too serious for my liking, but ah well. There's always next chapter, right? A special thanks to my beta reader, Lamia Lupus, and thanks so much to my reviewers, it is always appreciated.

**EyesofEmerald**: Thank you so much! I am also from the States, but am constantly wishing I was from England. That is probably the greatest complement a person could give me, thinking I'm actually from there. And thanks for continuing to read the story!

**Ecrivain Sage**: I'm glad you approve Sare!

Now without further adieu….

_Of Denial and Arguments_

"Lily? Are you alright?"

Lily looked up to see who had inquired about her mental sanity.

"Hullo Gwen…"

Gwendolyn Schreiber was a Ravenclaw seventh year who Lily actually knew quite well. They had grown up in the same neighborhood, her mum being a muggle, and they had remained friends despite the difference in houses.

"So, what's bothering you Lils?" Gwen asked, plopping down beside her distressed friend.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Classes, friends…"

"Boys?" Gwen suggested.

"Who said anything about James!"

A look of shock overtook Gwendolyn's face at Lily's preemptive outburst.

"You fancy _James_? Mister _I'm too sexy for my quidditch robes _Potter? _That _James?"

Lily clapped her hands over her quickly reddening face. "I _do not_ fancy James Potter. He just keeps…popping up in my head…at strange times in the day…"

Gwen shook her head in amusement, and then looked at her friend strangely, as if just realizing something.

"Shouldn't you be in Divination?"

"Technically speaking," Lily groaned.

"So what happened? Actually see something in a crystal ball?" Gwen snorted, trying to get her sullen friend to smile.

Lily looked up at Gwendolyn with ashen face, emerald eyes wide with acknowledgement.

"Merlin!" Gwen exclaimed, scooting closer to Lily eagerly, fixing her with a peircing blue gaze. "What'd you see?!"

Lily looked down at her feet, carefully avoiding Gwendolyn's inquiry.

"Wait…. James…and then vision…You had a vision about James!" Gwen said triumphantly, pointing an accusatory finger at Lily.

Lily buried her face in her hands once more.

"What was it about? Has it happened before?" Gwen asked eagerly.

Lily sighed, realizing Gwen wasn't going to leave her alone till she explained everything.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, Gwen. I mean it."

"I promise, I promise! Now tell me everything."

"Well, the vision thing has never happened before, but I did have a couple of dreams over the summer. Apparently seeing him again has aggravated my entirely too vivid imagination. I swear I don't like him though!" Lily added, almost desperately. "I mean, I've never even enjoyed his company, let alone wanted to snog him…"

Gwen smiled knowingly. "I'll be the judge of that…what was this vision about?"

Lily thought back to the vision she had had naught but fifteen minutes ago…

_…James was leading her down a dark, deserted hallway, his large hand intertwined with her smaller one...._

That alone had been enough to put Lily on edge, but what happened next…it sent Lily spinning away from everything she knew as reality.

_…James pulled her behind a statue of Gregory the Smarmy, pinning her to the cold, stone wall, one hand above her head, the other twisting a lock of her long crimson hair. Lily shivered, but her shivers had nothing to do with the temperature of the wall…_

_"James don't!" Lily said playfully, wrapping her arms around his well-muscled shoulders. "We'll be late for the meeting and…"_

_Lily wasn't able to finish her protest though. Before she could finish, James' perfectly shaped lips swooped down and captured her own. A soft moan escaped her lips as James deepened the kiss…_

"Lily? Are you gonna tell me or what?"

Lily turned towards her blonde friend, blushing furiously.

"I'd rather not say…"

Gwendolyn stood, shrugging. "Suit yourself. I have to take off though. I've got Herbology next, and it's a bit of a walk. Oh, and when you see Remus, could you ask him to meet me before supper? I've got something to tell him…he'll know where."

"You promised you wouldn't say anything!"

"Lily, he's my boyfriend. I think we can find better things to talk about than your fantasy love life."

"Oh, right…sorry." Lily said sheepishly.

"No worries, and if you ever need to talk, I'm here. Now get back to class!" Gwendolyn teased, giving Lily a brilliant smile. "Oh, and congrats on making head girl!

With that Gwendolyn strolled down the hallway towards the entrance hall.

"Thanks!" Lily called to the retreating girl as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period.

Lily reluctantly stood from her spot on the stairs and trudged towards History of Magic, thinking she would give all the galleons in Gringotts not to have to see James Potter right now.

.............................................................................................................................................

"I'm knackered," Sirius said, throwing himself on a particularly squishy armchair in the Gryffindor common room.

"How is that humanly possible?" Peter asked. "You slept on me all through History of Magic! And I have the drool mark to prove it…" He brushed the shoulder of his robes in disgust.

"Sorry 'bout that, mate. Normally would have slept on Prongs here, but he was too busy trying to impress Evans. His damned elbow kept hitting me with all the notes he was taking. Bit annoying really…"

"Well excuse me if I want to do well on my NEWT's this year!" James snapped at Sirius, trying very hard to deny he was doing it to make an impression on Lily.

"And I _don't _want to do well?!" retorted Sirius. The teasing tone was gone from Sirius's voice, real anger taking its place. "History of Magic is the most ridiculous class in Hogwarts, and I seem to recall a time when you felt the same!"

"In fact," he continued, "if Evans hadn't been there, I bet you would have been leaving your mark on Wormtails _other_ shoulder!"

"Or maybe I grew up."

Silence filled the corner that the Marauders currently occupied as James glared at his best friend. Peter squirmed uncomfortably at the sudden change of mood as Remus desperately searched for a way to break the tension that couldn't be cut by a battle-axe.

"You know what I think we need?" Remus said, after several minutes of agonizing silence. "A nice prank to relieve all this start of term stress."

Peter nodded eagerly at this suggestion, looking first at Sirius, then to James, who were still locked in an intense stare.

A slow grin began to overtake James' face.

"Right you are, Moony, as usual. That's exactly what we need."

Sirius grinned back at James, making a silent agreement to forget their little argument. His blue eye's shined with delight as an idea popped into his mind.

"Lets tie Peter up and lock him in Moaning Myrtles toilet. Scantily clad, might I add."

"Bullocks to that!" Peter said, shaking his head vigorously.

"Well, unless you can think of a better immediate target…" Sirius trailed off as his gaze settled on something behind James' back.

"Found one," he said, raising his wand.

James turned around, expecting to see some innocent first year on his way to dinner. Instead, though, he saw a familiar red-headed witch making her way across the common room.

"Sirius, don't—" James started, but it was too late. A jet of purple light zoomed across the room, hitting Lily square in the back of the head. James watched in horror as Lily's beautiful auburn hair slowly turned a violent shade of violet.

Linnea began to snigger from across the room as she looked at her friend's strange new look, and the rest of the common room followed, Sirius rolling on the ground from laughing.

Lily looked down at herself, running her hands over her face and hair, trying to figure out what the spell had done. A horrified look crossed her features, and her hands went immediately from her face to her bottom, as if expecting she had sprouted a tail.

"_Like we would play a joke more than once…"_ James thought to himself.

The affected girl sighed in relief to find no odd protuberances form her backside.

"Lily…" Linnea said, choking on her laughter. "It's your…your…your hair!"

Lily ran over to the fireplace and the mirror above. As soon as she glimpsed her reflection, a hand clapped over her mouth in horror. She quickly recovered from her shock, however.

"POTTER!" she roared, stalking over to James after seeing her rather nauseating hair color. "This is your doing!"

"No, Lily. I—I—"

"_I—I—_don't want hear it! I am sick of your bloody pranks all the time—"

"But Lily-"

"DON'T INTTERUPT ME! THIS BLOODY WELL MEANS WAR, DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU HAVE HUMILIATED ME AND UNDERMINED MY AUTHORITY. IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE GAVE YOU A DOSE OF YOUR OWN POTION, AND THAT SOMEONE'S GONNA BE ME!"

"At least let me—"

_"Just bugger off, Potter."_

James stood, absolutely furious that Lily wouldn't even give him a chance to explain. He moved closer to Lily, towering over her, and was pleased to see her take a step back.

"_Fine_," he whispered, very close to Lily's ear, his breath tickling her cheek. James was almost sure he saw a shiver run through her body.

He then quickly turned away, beckoning the other Marauders to follow him, and headed towards his private dorm.

Remus shook his head hopelessly, following his angry friend.

"Oh man, Prongs. You are really going to have to make up for that one."

**A/N**- And so ends chapter four. I am thinking about starting a little prank war between Lily and James so she can "give him a dose of his own potion", but I think it might be out of character…give me your thoughts when you REVIEW, yeah? They would be much appreciated. I'm aiming for five reviews again, as I came up one short last chapter, so pretty please with a chocolate frog on top _review_!


	5. War Zone! Codename: revenge

**A/N-** A big thank you to all of my reviewers:  EyesofEmerald, Away with the faries 4, Charming visions, Lady Riddle, Ecrivsin Sage, and angelstar2.

Also, James's thoughts are in italics, in case you get confused, and it's only in one little part, so it shouldn't be too bad.  This is also a bloody long chapter, so drink up!  Here's to hoping you laugh your arse off while you read this.  Raises glass in a toast So, without further adieu…

**War Zone!  Codename: revenge**

A gentle waft of air caressed James's face the following morning, stirring him from his slumber.

"Lily…" James murmured playfully.  "Stop it…that tickles…OUCH!

James tumbled out of bed as something very sharp pricked him on his backside.

"What in the bloody hell…?"

James looked up from his spot on the floor to see some sort of a mini-cupid hovering above him.  The little blonde lump stood about ten centimeters tall, and white wings were beating on his back to keep him in the air.

"Gees mate, what got your diaper in a twist?" 

The cupid thing just fluttered before him, looking at James with innocent violet eyes.  James disentangled himself from his sheets and stood, pulling a four-centimeter arrow from his arse.  James made a wild grab for the pudgy cupid to teach him a lesson about where and where not pointy things should go, but it just flew out of reach.

"Alright little man, I think we need to have a talk.  Firstly, it is _not_ polite to go shooting arrows into people's behinds.  Secondly, it is very rude to awaken someone when they do not have to be up for another three minutes and twenty-four seconds.  Lastly, _what are you doing in my bedroom_?"

The tiny cherub did not answer, but started to do little flips in the air around James's bed, completely ignoring his presence. 

'_Well,_ _at least this gives me more time to think…This is obviously a prank of some sort, but who would it be?  My fellow Marauders wouldn't dare set an arrow slinging love monster on me, would they?_

James thought back to the day before, trying to remember if he had offended any of them.  There had been that little tiff in the common room with Sirius, but he was pretty sure they had resolved that.  Then he had gotten in a fight with Lily, she wanted to give him a dose of his own potion, but… no.  She couldn't possibly…. the idea was laughable!  What would she _do_, glare him to death?

An image of a glaring Lily then popped up into his mind, unbidden.  Fortunately, his imagination quickly changed her expression to a welcomer one.  Her eyes were sparkling jewel bright, and her cherry red lips were quirked in a coy smile.  He couldn't wait to see if her lips tasted as good as they looked…

"GAH!"  James clasped his hands over his bottom in protection from any other onslaught of arrows.  "Bloody hell!  _Why do you keep doing that?!_  I was just thinking about Lily…

"Oh…I get it."  James waggled his finger at the cupid accusingly.  "Every time I think about Lily, you bestow upon me a pointy little gift, is that it?  You're the friggin' anti-cupid!"

There is only one person who could possibly be responsible for this audacious deed.  It was very obviously—

"SIRIUS!" James roared, bursting into the seventh year dormitories and ripping the curtains back from the offending boy's four-poster bed.

"S'matter?"  Sirius asked, sitting up dazedly.

"Hey Prongs," Peter said, poking his head out from his own draperies.  "Who's your little friend?"

"That's exactly what I was going to ask _him_."

"Who? _ Me_?"  Sirius looked at James, giving him a wide-eyed look of innocence.  "I haven't done anything…"

"Yeah right," James said scathingly.  "And my mother's a flubberworm."

"Perhaps you should give Padfoot the benefit of the doubt, James," Remus suggested, joining the conversation. 

"And why, pray tell, should I do that? Who else would do this?"

"What exactly does Mr. Daipypants do?"

"Well, uh, here…hold on…"

James screwed up his face into a look concentration, thinking of Lily, and soon a blissful smile spread across his face.  It didn't stay for long though, for a miniature red arrow zoomed across the room to hit its target once more.

"Ooh," All of the Marauders flinched as the projectile struck James' bottom, with the exception of Sirius, who had now rolled off his bed, howling with laughter.

"That's bloody brilliant!"  he exclaimed.  "Which one of you two did it?"

Two pairs of eyes stared blankly back at him.

"It was you, you idiot!"  James accused.

"No, it wasn't."

"Perhaps you should give him the benefit of the doubt here, Prongs," came Remus's voice of reason.  "I mean, you'd have to really good at charms to do this kind of thing…"

"Hey!  I'm good at charms!"

"And who do you think of when it shoots you?"  Remus finished, completely ignoring Sirius's interruption.

James blushed slightly before answering, "Lily."

"So there's your answer."

"Who, _Lily_?"  Peter asked incredulously.

"No freaking way," Sirius scoffed.  "I'll be a prisoner in Azkaban before _Lily_ pulls a prank…"

"Think about it," Remus defended himself.  "Yesterday she was angry with you and made promises of revenge, and today you get a poke in the arse every time you think about her.  It makes sense."

James grudgingly agreed, seeing as no one else would dare defy him, head boy and prankster extraordinaire. 

"Lily has gone off the deep end…" Peter said, shaking his head.

"You know what this means, right Prongs?"  Sirius asked, an evil smirk spreading across his face.

"Er, I'm gonna need a serious dose of murtlap essence by the end of the day?"

"No," Sirius said, his manic grin widening, "It means our dear Lily flower is in for some serious revenge…"

… … …  …

Lily was already sitting at the Gryffindor table when James came in for breakfast, followed by his new friend and the other Marauders.

She spotted them, then rose from her spot at the table and walked over to greet James where he stood in the doorway, batting her eyelids and swinging her hips in a way that got every males' attention.

"Hello, James," Lily said, twisting a lock of hair around her finger and smiling up at him in a very suggestive manner.

James smiled back at the sultry siren, his eyes taking in her fiery beauty, and staying a little too long on her ample bosom.   (A/N:  I have always wanted to say ample bosom!!)

"Hell—OUCH!"  James turned around in a fury and raised a threatening fist at the minute harbinger of pain.

A smile of triumph spread across Lily's face and she returned to her spot as the whole hall burst into gales laughter.

"I believe that's Lily: one, James: zero," Remus murmured to James, smiling broadly at his friends misfortune.

… … … … … … … …

Unfortunately for James, the rest of the day did not go much better.  Every time he started to daydream in one of his classes, he tended to be pulled back into reality with an arrow where god never intended one to be.

Unfortunately for Lily, however, since James could no longer pass the time by thinking of her, he passed it by thinking of ways to avenge his sore bottom.  Which is perhaps why the next morning all of Gryffindor was awakened by a piercing shriek.

"JAMES POTTER!  YOU GET OUT HERE AND TAKE THIS THING OFF RIGHT NOW!"  Lily bellowed from the common room.

James sauntered into the common room to face a raging Lily, still in her nightdress.  Above her floated a red heart, about twice the size of her head. Inside it, the word 'James' was flashing brightly, as confetti fell around it, disappearing just before it hit Lily's head.

By now, many bodies were flooding the stairwell, trying to see what all the commotion was.

"Now Lily dearest," James cooed.  "I do not recall  you removing that love hating little devil yesterday, so I believe I will return the favor."

"Ugh!!"  Lily raged, throwing up her arms and storming back to her dormitory, the blazing scarlet heart following her all the way.

James looked over to the base of the stairs, where his fellow Marauders were standing, and winked.

"I believe it's a tie game, folks," Sirius declared happily.

… … … … … … …

The war of pranks waged on for nearly a month.

Lily slipped a dose Rhyming Restorative in James's pumpkin juice, forcing him to speak in rhymes for the next eight hours.

He retaliated by charming her so that every time she tried to insult him, a monkey mating call came out instead.

James was definitely winning, according to the score being kept by Sirius, Remus, and Peter.  It's not that Lily wasn't keeping up with him prank for prank, it's that James had more artistic flair.  At least, that was their excuse for giving their friend extra points here and there.

Lily did, however, rally up points near the end of September.  One night in the common room, right before one of their patrols, she came up to James, apparently extending an olive branch for peace.

"What are you doing?"  James asked, looking at Lily like she had officially earned a spot in the psychiatric ward of St. Mungo's.

" I was hoping we could put all this prank business behind us, just be friends."

James stared hard into Lily's eyes, as if trying to detect a lie.  Lily put on the most wide-eyed look of innocence she could manage, which apparently was pretty darn convincing.

"Okay…"

Lily held out her arms and stepped towards James, and he warily wrapped his arms around her.  Soon, though, all thought of mistrust vanished from his head as he relished in Lily's closeness.  He even felt an odd, tingling sensation in his head as he breathed in the coconut smell of her hair.

Wait…his head wouldn't tingle from smelling hair…and why did his head feel so much lighter?

James quickly pulled out of Lily's embrace, yelling "Treachery!"

That was not the sound that came out however.  A loud "Buck aw!" echoed across the common room instead of James's usual delectable husky voice.

For he now had the head of a rather large chicken.

"Oh man, Moony," Sirius chuckled, from his spot in the common room.  "I reckon that one was worth at least three points…"

… … … … … … … … …

Due to her little transfiguration stunt, Lily was preparing herself for the very worst.  Which is why she was surprised when the following Thursday Professor Garrison, their DADA teacher, asked to see her after class.

As the rest of the students filed out, Lily made her way to the front of the classroom, throwing a questioning look at James as he hurriedly left the classroom.

"What did you need, Professor?" 

The young woman looked worriedly up at Lily, clearly uncomfortable. It was apparent that this was her first year teaching.

"Oh, Lily…right…could you please read a passage to me from this book?"

"Uh, sure…"

Lily did, quitting after about a page of reading.

"Oh," she said, looking relieved.  "So you _can_ read…then what, might I ask, is the meaning of this?"

Lily looked down at the paper she handed her, an essay entitled "Wherewoles arr peeple, too", by Lily Evans. 

She forced herself to bite back a smile as she skimmed through her 'essay, and quickly explained, (in a very furious tone, of course) that a classmate must have switched her paper, and handed the professor her real essay.  The young professor took it, saying no points would be deducted from her for the little mishap.

"Thank you."  Lily said gratefully, and then made her way quickly out of the classroom, absolutely shaking with suppressed laughter. 

She ran all the way to the girl's lavatory, where she locked herself in a stall to read the offending essay.  The paper apparently followed a werewolf through an average month, and it was filled with sentences like "the pore wherewolf was stuck in a hows and dint leave all nite."

"Lily?  Are you in here?"  Linnea asked, entering the lavatory.

Lily quickly stifled her laughter and put on a look of mock sorrow, opening the stall door.

"I'm in here, Linnea.

"I'm alright, but the professor says she's going to fail me…" Lily said, her eyes brimming with false tears.  "Could you proofread this essay for me?"

Linnea took the essay, her eyes widening a little more with each sentence she read.

"I think my spelling could use a little work."

"A little!"  Linnea exclaimed, and then both girls doubled over laughing.

"Don't you _dare_ tell James I laughed," Lily said, as they exited the washroom.

"Why speak of the devil," Linnea laughed, her eyes fixed on a spot across the corridor.

For their stood James, in all his glory, smirking at Lily as if he just found out something very interesting.  He swooped down on the girls, placing himself between the two and draping an arm around Linnea casually, unaware of the surge of jealousy that went rocketing through Lily at that moment.

"Now Linnea, I know you weren't speaking of me, were you?"

James smiled brilliantly down at the small girl.

Linnea didn't answer though, for she was struck speechless as a tall, shaggy haired boy came bounding towards James.

"James!"  Sirius called, coming to a halt before the assembled group. 

He took in the sight, James's arm around Linnea and Lily standing a bit to the side, glaring daggers at the pair.  He grinned at the situation, deciding to turn it to both his and his friend's advantage.

"You know Prongs?  I don't believe you deserve such a beautiful young lady."

Sirius gave Linnea his most charming smile and moved to stand behind her.  He then ushered her out of James's friendly embrace with one hand on the small of her back, gently steering her towards the Great Hall.

Linnea twisted her head around to gap at Lily, apparently not believing her incredulous luck to be dining with Sirius.

Lily smiled at her friend in what she hoped was an encouraging manner, for she was entirely not thrilled to be left alone with James. 

Silence fell between the two companions, lasting for only a few seconds, but feeling like ages to Lily.  She couldn't stand it; she had to break the silence.

"Er…"  Lily started, but then fell once more into a hush, having absolutely nothing to say.

"Was there more to that sentence, or was that the end of the story?"  James said, smiling warmly down at her.

Oh Merlin, she wished he'd stop smiling at her like that.  She could never think strait when he smiled like that…

"Er…"

"Yes, I've heard that bit already."

"_Why do you have to be so difficult_!"  Lily admonished, quickly regaining her compsure. " Here I am, trying to make some sort of truce, and all you can do is mouth back at me!"

"Oh no," James said, backing away from Lily.  "I am _not_ falling for that one again."

"I'm serious, you dolt!"

James's trademark arrogant grin returned to his face then.

"So you finally admit defeat, eh?"

"Defeat?  No, no, no."  tutted Lily, cocking a perfectly arched eyebrow.  "According to the Marauders tally, we are exactly tied.  And frankly, I'm running out of ideas."

"So we settle on a tie, quit pranking each other, and you go back to your old ways of hating my guts?  I don't know that I like this idea…"

"Well no not exactly.  I suggest we settle on a tie, quit pranking each other, and…" 

Lily broke off, blushing slightly.  Her eyes very adamantly set on a bit of mud on the floor.

"And…?"  James prompted.

"And," Lily started, finally meeting James's hazel gaze. "I think we should be friends."

"_Friends_?"  James repeated, apparently not believing what had just come out of her mouth.

Lily nodded, hoping with all her heart that he would not ruin the moment by asking her out again.

"Friends…yeah, I can live with that."

"Well then, Mr. Potter, I believe we have an accord."

"It would appear so, Miss Evans.  It would appear so…"

**A/N-** So?  Did ya like it?  I do, but then, I may be a bit partial…please R/R, as always.  Upon meeting my set goal of five reviews last chapter, I am now crossing my fingers in hope of seven.  Do help me reach my dreams!


	6. The Love Beast

**Disclaimer-** For those of you with the I.Q of a flubberworm, no, I do not own Harry Potter.

**A/N-**Wow guys, sorry for the wait, but this chapter was particularly hard to write.  I had this big plan for Lily and James, but it just didn't work out.  Oh well, there's always chapter seven…Also, I had to change the rating on it, just for this chapter, there's just bit of sexual innuendo that I know I wouldn't want my ten year old reading, hence, PG-13

  This explores Remus and Gwen a bit more, but no worries.  It'll be back to being full blown Lily and James, for I have big plans for those two…taps finger tips together and laughs evilly  And of course, a big thanks to all my reviewers, especially Laydemom, Jen, and my darling beta, Lamia Lupus!

**EyesofEmerald-** I have no idea how long this thing is going to be, I don't have the whole thing written out.  I tend to let my characters take me where they want to go, thereby making it difficult to estimate an exact length.  I can guarantee at least another three chapters though.  _At least._

And now, without further adieu…

The Love Beast 

To say that the students were flabbergasted at Lily and James's newfound alliance would be an understatement.  One sixth year actually spilled eggs down his front the first time the pair strolled into the Great Hall together, talking amiably about cauldron bottoms.  Even the teachers looked a bit taken aback by their friendship.

Ignoring the stares they were getting from the majority of students, Lily made her way toward the Gryffindor table, where she spotted the other three Marauders, Linnea, and Gwendolyn.  She took a seat next to Remus and greeted the assembled group as James sat opposite her.

" Hey Gwen, watcha doing over here?"

Gwen smirked, and ran a hand through her shoulder length ash blonde hair.

"Thought I'd see what life's like on the other side."

Remus gave his girlfriend a warm smile.

"You know you're welcome here whenever you like.  So long as you can brave Sirius's abysmal table manners."

"Hey!"  Sirius exclaimed, spraying the table with bits of half chewed bacon.  "I resent that!"

"So Gwen…" Lily said, completely ignoring Sirius's outburst.  "Do you have any plans for next Saturday?  First Hogsmeade weekend you know."

"I was planning a little thing for me and Remus…why?"

"Linnea and I are going to have a girls day out kind of thing, I was wondering if you wanted to go.  But if you have plans…"

"You should go with them, Gwendolyn," Remus said.  "I don't think I'll be able to make it next Saturday."

Gwendolyn's blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"But Remus!  That's our six month anniversary…. or have you forgotten?"

"No!  No…I didn't forget.  It's just that, er…my mum is sick again, so I'll be going home to visit…"

"Oh," Gwendolyn's eyes softened.  "Well, I'll come with you then.  It must be hard for you to see her like that."

"No!  Er…that's not a good idea, because…er…" Remus shot a pleading look at his fellow Marauders as Gwen began to glare once more.

All three burst into an explanation.

"No that's not a—"

"…highly contagious—"

"…goobers out the nose—"

"…like a mad cow really!"

"Remus, what's going on?!"  Gwen demanded.

The young werewolf looked helplessly down at his plate.  He knew how the truth would sound…

Well, you see Gwen.  It's no big deal, really…it's just that once a month I change into a hairy, man-eating monster.  You don't mind, do you?

No, he couldn't stand to see the look of horror that would cross her delicate features.

Realizing that Remus wasn't going to answer Gwendolyn's question, James unwisely jumped into the conversation.

Unfortunately, he did not put much thought into his answer.

"Nothing's going on Gwen!  See, Remus here is really excited about your anniversary, and he planned out a big _secret_ surprise for you.  A _secret_ surprise.  As in hush hush, top security, 007, _secret_ surprise.  So, before you get your knickers in a twist, Remus _will_ be there on Saturday, with his _secret_ surprise."

"Oh Remus, really?!"  Gwen squealed, forgetting all about her earlier suspicions.   "I _adore _surprises.  Especially _secret_ ones!"

Sirius draped an arm over Remus's shoulder and used his fingers to pinch his friend's lips into a smile while his other hand nodded Moony's head.

The three girls burst into a fit of giggles and immediately began bouncing gift ideas off each other.  None of them even noticed the forced smiles on the Marauders faces.

"Hey James," Remus asked in barely controlled anger,  "I left my book upstairs, can you help me find it?"

"What or you on about?  Your bag's right—oof! Oh, right…that book."

James stood quickly from the table and headed out of the Hall with Remus.

"I'm going to help them with that as well," Peter mumbled lamely.  "You coming Sirius?"

"I'm not finished yet…" Padfoot answered, looking down longingly at the crumbs remaining on his plate.

"_Sirius_."

"_Fine_," the hungry boy huffed, reluctantly heading out of the dining area.  "How many people does it take to find a bloody book?  Honestly…"

The four boys trooped up to Gryffindor Tower in silence until they reached the common room, where Remus exploded at James.

"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING!  HOW IN MERLIN'S NAME AM SUPPOSED TO BE IN HOGSMEADE ON SATURDAY!  _WITH_ A SURPRISE!  ARE YOU SMOKING GILLYWEED AGAIN?!  I TOLD YOU TO LAY OFF! IT GOES STRAIGHT TO YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR JUDGEMENT IS IMPAIRED FOR DAYS!"

"Settle Moony, settle," James said, making calming gestures with his hands as if he were dealing with a three-headed dog.  "You _are_ going to be there on Saturday.  Well, not _you _per say, but…_you_," James finished lamely.

Remus, Sirius, and Peter all looked as if a bludger had just slammed full force into their stomachs, such was their astonishment. 

"Now, before you haul me off to St. Mungo's, let me explain.  I've been working on a prank that is somewhat…delicate…in nature-"

"You are _not _pranking my girlfriend as her surprise on our anniversary," Remus stated flatly.

"Of course not!  How much of a dolt do you think I am?"

"Well-" Sirius started.

"That was a _rhetorical_ question, Sirius."

"Wow Prongs!  When did you learn _that_ word?"  Peter asked, looking at James in wonder.

"Well, this summer my mum was on one of her cleaning sprees and she was always buggering me to—"

"_Hem hem_."

"Oh, right.  Sorry Remus.  Anyway, long story short, I have a batch of polyjuice potion brewing in the Room of Requirement."

"Oh, _right_," Remus deadpanned.  "So I'll just have on of you nitwits parading around as me on what should be the most romantic date of our relationship thus far?  Not bloody likely…"

"Well…there is _one_ other option…"

Remus looked at James expectantly.

"You could…tell her the truth?"

Remus sunk into a squishy armchair in despair, rubbing his hands across his pale face. 

"Are you sure the potion will be ready by Saturday?"

James nodded.  "All I need is a bit of you."

Silence rang through the room as Remus considered his options.

"Let's do it."

"Brilliant!"  Sirius exclaimed, as the Marauders headed to their first class.  "Can I do it?  Can I?  Can I?"

"Over my dead and decaying body." Remus stated darkly, with an after thought of, " James'll do it.  And he will be on his best behavior…" 

………………………………………………………………………………………………

And so for the rest of the week James desperately studied Remus's little quirks while Remus in turn told him _almost_ everything about his relationship with Gwen. 

Despite all of their preparation, though, James felt nothing could prepare him for Saturday.

"The things we do for a friend," James muttered, looking down at the glass in his hand.

After putting in a bit of Remus's hair, the potion had turned a frothy mocha color, much to James's chagrin.  He hated coffee…

James quickly downed the potion, then winced in pain as his skin stared to bubble and reshape.

"Wicked."

James looked up to see the fuzzy form of Sirius in the doorway.  He quickly removed his glasses and looked down at his body, now Remus's.  His eyes widened as he took in his new form, and lingered on his lower half.

"Man…I know what they say about guys with big feet, but this is ridiculous!"  James grinned.

Sirius looked down at the area to which James was referring and chuckled.  "No wonder Gwen picked old Moony over me…"

"So Padfoot, what are your plans for today?  Any special girl?  Or are you continuing with the rotating door routine…"

"Actually, I was thinking about catching up Linnea…"

"Don't hurt her, mate," James warned.  "She deserves more than a weekly appointment in a broom closet."

"You're right," Sirius chortled.  "Perhaps I should schedule her in the astronomy tower…"

"I'm _serious_.  You hurt Linnea, you hurt Lily, and somehow, it will all be my fault."

Sirius didn't respond, and instead looked at his watch.

"Uh, Prongs?  Shouldn't you be going?  You've already wasted five-"

But before Sirius could finish James/Remus was out the door.

He ran full speed all the way to the Entrance Hall, not caring that he'd never seen Remus run anywhere, and smacked straight into none other than Lily Evans.

"Oh, er, hey Evans," James/Remus said apologetically.

Lily looked at him quizzically, Remus never called her by her surname…only James did.

"Hello, Remus.  Going to meet Gwen?"

James/Remus nodded, looking around the hall for the petite blonde.

"Well, don't let me keep you, but…have you by a chance seen James?"

James/Remus cocked his head to the side, wondering where Lily was going with that one, and hoping to Merlin it didn't mean what he thought it did.

"Why do you want to know?"

Lily blushed the faintest of pinks before answering, "Well, Sirius has gone of with Linnea, and now I'm kind of on my own.  I figured he would be too, what with both you and Sirius having dates, so I thought we could grab a butterbeer or something…"

James had the strong urge to punch something.  This may well be his only chance with Lily, and he was spending the day with someone else's girlfriend. 

There was no doubt in his mind, Fate was a bitch.

Gwendolyn Schreiber scanned the Entrance Hall eagerly for Remus.  He was late, which was highly unusual for him.  James must be rubbing off on him…

Just then she saw Remus dash into the hall, smack into Lily. Another unusual thing, Gwen thought…Remus usually doesn't rush to get anywhere.  He always said if it's worth getting to it's worth taking your time to get there.

All her worries were forgotten, though, as she admired her boyfriend.  She simply adored the way his sandy hair falls into his eyes.  Although she often thought she saw a secret hiding behind those wonderful grey orbs.

Remus turned away from Lily after a short time, and began scanning the hall for Gwen.  Noticing this, she called out to him.

"Remus!"

He didn't respond, continuing to look about the hall.  Puzzled, (as people tend to respond to their names being called at an excessive volume, right?), she tried again.

"Remus!  Remus, over here!"  She gave a little wave.

This time he spotted her, and made his way over. 

"Ready, love?"  he asked, holding out an arm for her.

She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and nodded, ready for what should be one very romantic day.

James/Remus shook out a picnic blanket in a secluded area just past all the cottages in Hogsmeade.  The weather had been unusually warm for late October, and the Marauders had decided a picnic would be best for the date, as it was away from the other students.  The less everyone saw of Remus/James, the better.

"Oh Remus!"  Gwen swooned.  "This is so romantic, and everything smells wonderful.  Where did you get all this food?"

"The house elves," James responded, grinning.

Gwen stretched out on her side on one side of the blanket, and patted the spot next to her for Remus.

James sat carefully on the opposite end of the blanket.

Gwen shot him a questioning look.  "Well, let's eat shall we?"

Grateful she didn't put up a fuss about his location, he unpacked the food, letting her take firsts.  He then helped himself to a piece of chicken, and loaded his plate with roast potatoes.

Gwen looked up from her own plate, eyeing Remus's choice of food.

"Since when do you like roast potatoes?  You're always complaining about the skin…"

"Oh, er…guess I've grown a bit fonder of them recently…"

_'Bugger!'_ James cursed to himself.  '_Why had he never paid attention to Remus's eating habits before?  What kind of friend was he, not knowing his friend didn't like potatoes…'_

_'The kind of friend who masquerades as another to save said friends arse…'_ James answered his mental question.  _'And what is that on my shoulder?!'_

James/Remus snapped out of his conversation with himself to find Gwen behind him, giving him a neck massage.  He quickly jerked away.  Remus would not be happy about this…

"_What are you doing!"_  James asked.

Gwen moved a couple of inches away, looking hurt.

"You looked so tense over here by yourself, so I thought I'd relieve some of the stress."

James felt guilt pour through him.  After all, Remus would probably really appreciate a massage on any other day.

"Sorry Gwen," he amended.  "You just surprised me is all.  Come on, let's do something else, okay?"

This apparently mollified her, for her blue eyes began to sparkle once more.

"Alright.  Here, I have something for you."

The petite girl rummaged around in her big for a bit, and emerged with a small box wrapped in brown paper.  She handed it to James, who simply stared at it.  He definitely hadn't counted on the guilt of sharing all these moments with Gwen when it should have been Remus, had Gwen known the truth.

"Well, what are you waiting for?  Open it!"

James carefully took off the paper, fighting every urge he had just to rip the paper off.  He didn't think that would be very Remus-like.  He removed the lid of the box and gasped.

"Oh my-wow Gwen!  This is fantastic!"

For in his hand James/Remus held an immaculate gold watch.  James flipped it over, and on the back he found an engraving; _To remember the good times,_ it read.

James looked over to Gwen, who had once more sat herself almost on his lap.

"It's to remember our first kiss…" 

Gwen placed a kiss on the corner of James's mouth.

"And our first more than kiss…"

She began nibbling on James's ear.

'_No wonder Remus wants to keep this one…wait, no!  This is wrong…I should not be doing this, and especially not enjoying it…this is all kinds of bad, the woman's out of control.  She's a love beast!'_

James shut his eyes, deciding it was best just to let her get it out of her system, and growing more uncomfortable by the second.

"And that time on James's bed…"

"Oh, yeah that time…" James said vaguely, lost in his own discomfort.  _Wait…  _"WHAT!!"

"I know!"  Gwen giggled, snaking her arms around James/Remus's neck.  "I thought it was great too.  In fact, I wouldn't mind a repeat performance…"

With that Gwendolyn crushed her full lips onto James's, taking him completely off guard. He was too busy cursing the day he gave Remus the password to his private dorm to even care what she was doing. It wasn't until he felt her tongue brush his lips that he snapped back to reality.  He quickly broke away, breathing hard from the effort of keeping Gwen off of him.  The trick was to do this with out offending her…he had to ask himself, 'what would Remus do?'

"Gwen, sweetie," James cooed, wrapping Gwen up in a warm embrace.  "You know there is nothing I would love more than to take away your innocence, (_okay, maybe Remus wouldn't say that),_ but I got these éclairs especially for you, and let's not forget about your _secret_ surprise…"

James held up an éclair for her, and Gwen leaned forward to take a bite.

"You're right," she relented.

James heaved a mental sigh of relief. 

Fortunately for him, the next few hours went by much the same, she didn't even notice when he took another dose of polyjuice potion.  Gwen did most of the talking, and James was shocked at some of the stories she recalled. 

Let's just say he found a new respect for his werewolf friend. 

James entered the common room that night (back in his own body, thank Merlin) to find Sirius and Peter waiting, Marauders Map and invisibility cloak at the ready.

"So," Peter asked.  "How did it go?"

"It went," was James's clipped response.  He then grabbed the cloak, throwing it over the other two boys and headed out of the common. 

After all, a certain werewolf was expecting company.

**A/N-**  I apologize once more for the wait, but I rewrote this thing at least six times.  (The beginning at least.)  Please read and review, and let me know what you think about the new perspective. 

P.S.  I have a new fic up, called "The Perfect Fit."  It's a Harry/Ginny piece, and it rates a perfect 12 on the fluff-o-meter.  Check it out!


	7. Another Notch

**Disclaimer: **For those of you with the I.Q. of a flubberworm, I do not own Harry Potter.

**A/N: **My muse must be an insomniac, because for some reason I can't write this fic at anytime before midnight…this has resulted in three straight nights of extremely late bedtimes, so I hope you like it. This chapter was particularly hard to write due to a little thing I like to call 'plot advancement', it's this crazy new thing writers are trying…anywho, thanks so much to all my reviewers, as usual! Oh, and this chapter was not beta read, so I hope it's okay…

And now, without further adieu…

**Another Notch **

The Marauders breathed a collective sigh of relief when Sunday dawned, crisp and cool. Not only had they pulled off the greatest scam in Hogwarts history, no one had gotten mauled during their midnight wanderings last night. All in all, not a bad day in the life of a Marauder.

James tucked into his bacon and eggs with vigor, thinking of yesterdays events. More specifically, the fact that Lily had wanted to spend the day with him. _By choice_. Perhaps Lily was finally warming up to the idea of James as more than a friend.

James looked around the Great Hall and spotted Lily at the Ravenclaw table with Gwen, who seemed to be very pensive over something. All thoughts of Gwen were banished from his mind, though, as Lily looked up and gave him a small yet brilliant smile from across the room.

"Oh yeah, she definitely wants me."

The other three boys looked up from their plates to see whom James was staring at.

"Ah yes," Remus said. "The illustrious Lily. We should have known. And what, pray tell, drove you to this conclusion?"

"A combination of many convincing actions. But never you mind about that. I need to figure out how to tell her in a way that won't end with me being pricked in the arse by an anti-cupid."

Remus steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on the table.

"A very perplexing situation indeed. Might I suggest—"

"Shh!" James shushed him frantically. For heading over to the Gryffindor table was a tall emerald-eyed witch accompanied by her fair-haired friend. The last thing he wanted was for Lily to be frightened off before he'd even said his piece.

Lily gave him a strange look as she took her place next to James. Gwendolyn sat across from her, next to Remus. James smiled at the two girls in greeting and turned back to his bacon.

His attention was almost immediately drawn to Gwendolyn once more, however, when he heard her say in a breathy, incredibly girly voice he had never heard her use before, "Oh Remmie!"

_Remmie? When did he get that nickname? He certainly didn't have it yesterday…_

"I had such a good time—"

James smirked to himself.

"And my gift was divine!"

_Wait, what gift? Remus was going to give her his present today, so I wouldn't get the benefits of gift giving…she's got to be up to something…_

"And listen," Gwen lowered her voice to the lowest decibel possible, and James leaned across the table, struggling to hear her words. "I know we shouldn't have gone as far as we did last night, but I'm glad we did."

_Uh oh._

Before James knew it Remus lunged across the table, catching his friend's head in a chokehold so strong it would rival a troll's.

Both boy's faces were growing steadily redder, though for very different reasons; James's for lack of oxygen, and Remus's from rage. He was spitting out insults and threats that would have made a sailor blush.

Sirius was the first to come to his senses. He stood quickly, taking Remus firmly by the shoulders, attempting to pull him off his best friend.

"Come on now, Moony! This is Prongs we're talking about here. At least let him explain himself before you kill him!"

Reluctantly, Remus released him and returned to his seat, glowering.

James's hands flew to his throat as he gulped in huge amounts of air.

"Remus…. I…. didn't…. do…. anything…. with her…"

Remus's grey eyes flew from best friend to girlfriend, unsure whom to believe. His gaze finally settled on Gwendolyn, who had stood, crossing her arms across her chest. Absolute rage was burning in her beautiful blue eyes.

"Remus," she said, her voice deadly calm yet filled with raw anger, "I think you have some explaining to do."

With that she stormed out of the Hall, tears glistening in her eyes. Remus quickly followed, hoping against hope that there was a way he could bluff himself out of this mess.

James looked around at the remaining Marauders, and then set his gaze on Lily. She was wearing a confused expression, as if trying to figure out a very perplexing Arithmancy problem. James prayed to whatever gods there be that Lily was struck with a sudden case of idiocy.

_Please, please, for once don't let her figure this out_…

Apparently Zeus was not in favor of James today.

"Evans…" she whispered, a look of dawning comprehension on her pale face. "James not going…"

Lily's supple lips were parted in a delicate 'o' of revelation, here eyes wide as galleons. "I thought I misread the signs! I should have known he couldn't possibly be there on Saturday. I mean, come on! He's a—"

James quickly clapped a hand over the raving girl's mouth.

"Gentlemen," he said, scooping Lily up from her seat. "We have a code 'fuzzy bunny'. Let's move."

With that James swooped Lily out of the Hall, followed by Sirius and Peter. He didn't stop until he arrived in a deserted corridor in the East end of the castle.

"All clear, Sirius?" James asked.

Lily saw Sirius pull out what appeared to be a blank piece of parchment. Noticing Lily's gaze, he quickly turned away. She heard him mutter something, and a minute later he turned back.

"It's a go, James."

The three boys surrounded Lily, putting her between them and the cold stonewall.

"Listen," Lily began to apologize. "I'm really sorry about that. I know I shouldn't have been talking about Remus's condition like that, but—"

"Lily, how long have you known?" James interrupted.

"Er, about mid sixth year. Ever since I started to notice you—er—you're odd…um…"

_Damn, damn, damn! That was close…now if only I could finish the sentence…_

"You're odd…erm…"

_Okay, different approach…_

"You know what!?" Lily assaulted him. "I'm more interested to know why _you_, a git, thought you could impersonate _Remus_, _who is not_, and get away with it!"

"I—"

"With his _girlfriend_ of all people?! How much of an _idiot _do you think she is!?"

"Well---"

"And were you ever intending to come clean with her?! What kind of selfish prat would do that to an innocent girl?!"

"Er, Prongs?" Sirius jumped in as Lily stopped to breathe. "Isn't this interrogation/intimidation thing supposed to be going the other way?"

"Shut it, Sirius," James said, clearly angry at Lily's accusation. His hardened hazel eyes stayed locked on hers, daring her to look away, as he continued. "Why don't you take Peter and go check on Remus? I'll _handle_ her…"

"Rightio, boss," Sirius mock saluted. "_Be gentle_," he finished with a wicked grin, then made his way down the hall, Peter scurrying behind him.

Once James was sure they were gone, he had a go at Lily.

"How _dare _you think I did this to benefit myself! Don't you think I tried to get him to tell her the _truth!"_

"James I—" Lily started, taken aback by James's anger.

"_Don't_ interrupt me. The bottom line is, my friend was in trouble. He needed help. So I helped. You know why, Lily?"

Lily shook her head helplessly, speechless at James's fury.

"_Because that's what friends do! They help each other!_ Either way, Gwen was going to be hurt, and this was the way Remus wanted it, so I obliged—"

"I'm sorry, James."

"I SAID DON'T-_what_?"

"I'm sorry. I should have had more faith in your character than that," Lily looked away from James, a tinge of pink touching her cheeks. "I guess I'm still getting used to that whole _friends _thing…"

James cupped her face in his hand, forcing her to look at him, and sending shivers of pleasure through her body.

"It's okay, Lils. It _was _a pretty stupid thing to do," he admitted.

Lily smiled her agreement and reluctantly pulled away from James. They began to walk companionably towards Gryffindor tower. After several minutes of silence, Lily looked up at James questioningly.

_"Code fuzzy bunny?"_

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

James's return to Gryffindor tower found three sullen Marauders moping in James's private dorm.

"I take it things didn't go so well with Gwen, eh?" James asked up on his entrance.

Remus shook his head despairingly from his spot on the bed.

"Do you mind my asking what happened?"

"She basically gave me an ultimatum. Tell the truth, or lose her. I guess I hesitated a bit too long, cuz a minute later she was gone. She said something about me not being the man she thought I was…" Remus laughed bitterly. "Isn't that the truth…"

"So you two are…er…on a break?"

"More like a permanent hiatus, I should think." Remus admitted ruefully.

It was then that Peter made his first semi-intelligent statement of the year.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

A pained look came across Remus's face as he answered. "I don't think I could bear the look on her face if I did. The disgust on her face when she's realized she's been dating a _thing_."

"She hasn't been dating a _thing_!" James immediately put in. "She's been dating _you_, _Remus Lupin_."

The four boys were silent, scattered in various points in the room, mulling over the events of the last two days.

"Well," Sirius said after a time, in a rather brighter tone than should be allowed in the circumstances. "No use lingering over spilt butterbear! I mean, it's sticky really, and soon the fly's will come…"

James raised his ebony eyebrows at his friend.

"It's true! What we need a distraction. As I always say, distraction is the cure for a broken heart."

Surprisingly, Remus chuckled. "Padfoot, usually I worry quite a lot about your logic, but for once, I agree with you."

"So what do we have in mind?" Peter asked.

"Well, I am on something of a quest…" James began, only to be interrupted by his shaggy haired friend with an uncanny impression of a certain mad knight.

"A quest, good sirs! We're on to conquer scurvy Slytherins or die bravely in battle!"

Sirius swung his arm wildly in the air, as if brandishing a sword. He then plunged it in the general direction of Peter's heart, who proceeded to die a rather gruesome death.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind…"James said. "I know I said I could be just friends with Lily, but I can't. The more time I spend with her, the more I want to violate her in not so friendly ways!"

Sirius gave an appreciative chuckle.

"Anyway, Moony, I was wondering what you were going to suggest before we got…erm…interrupted."

Remus thought back for a moment. "Oh right…I was going to tell you to write her a love letter."

Wide-eyed looks of horror met his suggestion. It seemed to James that he had officially lost his gobstones.

"You _must_ be nutters…" James said in a hoarse whisper.

Moony rolled his eyes at his three best friends, wondering if they were ever going to get a clue. Surprise support came from Sirius, however.

"You know Prongsy…the idea's got merit. Girls flip over the kind of mush…"

James looked over to Peter.

"Where do you stand in this, Wormtail?"

"Well, if Moony thinks it's a good idea…"

"_Fat lotta help you are_…" James muttered darkly. "Do you really think she'll buy it, Moony?"

"If you go about it the right way, yes. You have to compliment her. Tell her what you like about her the most."

"Well, for starters, she's got a great set of—"

"Sirius!" James cut him off. "I beg you not to finish that sentence."

"Eyes! I was going to say eyes!"

"Sure you were Padfoot, sure you were," Remus said, shaking his head. "But James, I recommend mentioning areas _above_ the neck…"

And with that the Marauders set about their most daunting quest yet.

………………………………………………………………………………….

After an exhausting day of catching up on homework, Lily made her way up to Gryffindor Tower. She mumbled the password (ironically enough, werewolf), and made a beeline for her dormitory. The fiery haired vixen flopped on her bed and was about to bury her head in her pillows when she noticed something rather odd.

On her pillow was a thick looking envelope with her name scrawled across in ruby colored ink.

Curious, she opened it, and out fell a crushed lily. She then pulled out a letter, neatly folded into thirds.

_ Lily,_

_I'm not much for fancy words or poetry, but there's something that you deserve to know. _

_I can't get you out of my mind. Even my dreams are haunted by your emerald eyes or your melodious laugh. I can't help but want to be near you._

_And it's not just your looks, either. (Which are top notch, by the way…) It's because of the way your nose wrinkles up when you're puzzled, and the way you smile at everyone, even if they don't deserve it. It's because of the way you laugh at my jokes, even if they aren't funny. (Which is often.) But mostly, it's because of the way you look at me when I've made you happy. I would eat Snape's underwear ten times over just to have you look at me that way once more. _

_My heart, Lily, belongs to you._

_Yours,_

_James_

Lily's first thought was '_This is the sweetest thing I've ever read.'_ Unfortunately, logic kicked in, and her second thought was '_What is he playing at?'_

"JAMES!" Lily bellowed, storming into the common room, where he apparently had been waiting for her, as he hopped up from a nearby chair, a grin on his face. The grin immediately dissipated when he saw the look Lily was sporting, however.

"Lily, what is it? I thought you would like—"

"I THOUGHT WE AGREED NO MORE PRANKS! YOU CAN'T GO AND PLAY WITH PEOPLES EMOTIONS LIKE THIS! IT'S NOT RIGHT, JAMES!"

"It's not a prank, Lils," James responded, looking earnestly into Lily's anger filled eyes.

"Wha…what?" she said, taken aback.

Encouraged by Lily's lack of shouting, James pushed on.

"Lily, ever since we became friends, I find myself caring for you more and more. I can't stand being this close to you, and still not have all of you. I really like you, Lils."

A battle like never before raged between Lily's heart and mind. As per usual, her mind won out.

"No," she nearly whispered, for her heart was till putting up a valiant effort.

"No?" James repeated, dumbfounded.

"_No_," Lily said, firmly squashing her heart back to where it belonged. Which proved to be a much easier task than expected, as it had been ripped in two when she refused perhaps the only boy she had ever truly cared for.

James was still trying to process what she had said, but managed to get out a strangled "Why?"

Lily took a deep breath, summoning all her remaining strength and fighting tears at the same time.

"Why James? Because I _can't stand_ to be just another notch on your wand, _that's why_!"

Upon sneaking a glimpse of James's face, Lily decided that honesty was _not_ always the best policy. His expression was quickly turning from dumbfounded to angry, and, to Lily's horror, a tear actually dribbled down her cheek as she looked at him.

"_Another notch_? ANOTHER NOTCH!" James exploded at her, grabbing her face in the same way he did earlier that morning. Only this time, there was no affection in his touch, only anger.

"How could you say that, Lily?!" Hurt now mingled with the fury in his voice. "First, my affections are a prank, and next I just want to score with you! This is the second time today that you have _completely_ misjudged me. This time, I don't know that I'm inclined to forgive."

With that James stormed into his own dormitory, slamming the door on the tearful witch, and whatever love he had for her.

**A/N-** Gah!! I hate to leave you like that, but…what can I do? They made me write it like that…remember, the more reviews, the sooner the next chapter comes up! So click that friendly little button in the lower left corner!__


	8. Falling Forgiveness

**Disclaimer: **I'll set a crup on you if you actually think I own any of this…

**A/N: **So yeah…chapter eight. A little shorter than the others, but what can you do. This chapter also has more angst in it than I particularly care for, though hopefully next chapter we'll be back to full force funniness… Thanks so much for all the reviews, they made me so very happy! And again, to my beta, who helped me ever so much with this chapter. Also, one last thing. I know there is much debate as to whether James is a Seeker or a Chaser, but nowhere in the books does it say what position James played. My beta told me in an interview Rowling said he was a chaser, but until that's down in pen, paper, and a really think binding, he's a seeker to me. I kind of like the idea of a legacy of seekers, you know? His seekerness is also kind of why I called it "Seeking You", get it? And now, without further adieu…

**Falling Forgiveness**

James's anger towards Lily did not dissipate the next day. Or the day after that. Or for the next several weeks for that matter.

Lily found herself sitting at the opposite side of the table from James once more. The late night talks with James she had enjoyed so much were gone. She was no longer on the receiving end of his boyish grin, but rather a hurt, disappointed frown.

He no longer tried to make her laugh. This is what Lily missed the most. As idiotic as his jokes may sometimes be, they never failed to lighten her mood.

In the few weeks Lily had been friends with James, she had fallen in love. She realized that now, but was too stupid, and/or arrogant, to admit it. She stuck by her foolish pride, and ended up pushing away the person that mattered to her most.

Even now she couldn't bring herself to apologize. Her mind wouldn't allow her to utter the two words that could fix this whole mess.

She kept trying to convince her friends she would get over it. That it was just a crush, just teenage hormones running rampant. It didn't work though. Lily couldn't even convince _herself _she was over him.

All of this was running through her mind as she made her way down to the Quidditch pitch with Gwen, both girls in varying states of misery. The sleety, cold, conditions of the November day matched the mood of the two heartbroken girls.

Kids were scuttling past the sullen pair, happily shouting suspected outcomes of the first quidditch match of the season. Most were wearing scarlet rosettes, but there was a fair amount of Slytherin pride in the crowd as well.

Honestly, Lily didn't care. The only reason she was attending was because as head girl, she was responsible to keep order among the masses.

'_And because you'll have a valid reason to stare at James in his delectable Quidditch robes…'_ the little devil inside her head added.

'_Oh, shut up you,'_ Lily told it.

Lily looked around for a seat and spotted Remus and Peter sitting near the top. She didn't understand why Remus didn't tell Gwen the truth. He was truly underestimating her, and Lily knew from experience it was a hard thing to forgive.

Lily quickly turned away from them and plopped in the nearest seats she found, emotionally exhausted.

She ran a hand through her auburn locks, willing the game to start. The sooner it ended, the sooner she could go back to bed to have a good cry.

As if hearing her with, the voice of Susie Sheldon, a fourth year Hufflepuff, came bellowing through the pitch.

"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor Vs. Slytherin! Here comes the Slytherin team! Chasers McNally, Rudy, and Black! Beaters Prince and Pummler! Seeker Williams! And Captain and keeper Gregory Toiler!"

Loud cheers and hisses erupted from the Slytherin end of the pitch as their team flew over the stands.

"And here comes Gryffindor! First out is captain and seeker James Potter! Followed by beaters McPherson and McDougal! Keeper Waltz! Chasers Floss, Huse, and, of course, the most handsome, glorious, outrageously gorgeous, Sirius Black!"

Lily rolled her eyes as Susie finished and cheers erupted. The girl had a hopeless crush on Sirius, much to the annoyance of Linnea. Sirius was basking in the attention, however, blowing kisses at her and the other female supporters.

"The players take their positions—Miseur Ferryweather releases the balls, and they're off! Gryffindor in possession! Huse makes a neat reverse pass to Floss, who takes it up field. And back to Huse—No! Slytherin takes the quaffle! Black now in possession-- the icky one, not the god who plays for Gryffindor-and shoots—Blocked by keeper Waltz! And the striking Black now in possession! Racing towards the hoops—he shoots—SCORES! 10-0 to Gryffindor! I always knew Sirius was the best. See how he just did that? The most impressive scoring I've ever—"

"Susie! Can we get back to the game please?"

"Sorry, professor…Huse with the quaffle now! She appears to be using the Woollongong Shimmy to avoid the opposing chasers! She's nearly to the goal—OUCH! And the crowd calls for a penalty as Rudy uses a poorly executed Transylvanian Tackle!"

Lily groaned. The Slytherins had always played dirty, but with James as captain they seemed to be putting much more effort into their underhanded tactics.

"And a still bleeding Huse takes the penalty—AND SHE SCORES! No wonder, as Toiler couldn't block a quaffle with five arms and a—sorry professor-- So it's 20-0 to Gryffindor, and—wait—is that the snitch?!"

Looking frantically around the pitch Lily spotted James streaking down towards the Slytherin end on his Nimbus 1500, far in the lead of his seeker foe. She held her breath as he reached out a hand to grasp the snitch.

"AND GRYFFINDOR WINS 170-0! Not even giving Slytherin a chance to score…!"

But Lily wasn't paying attention to the announcer anymore. She watched in horror as the Slytherin beaters combined their strength and shot a bludger at James, holding his hand up in victory, completely oblivious.

Didn't he pay attention to _anything_?!

"JAMES!" she cried, pointing at the offending object. He turned towards her with a confused look on his face, though how he could possibly hear her over the crowd she'll never know. "WATCH—"

_Wham._

The bludger slammed into the back of his head.

"NO! LINNEA!" Lily screamed, watching as James fell from his broomstick, unconscious. Linnea raced over beside her and Lily jumped on the back of her broom stick. Together, they flew to James' side just before the teachers were arriving All she cared about was getting to James's apparently lifeless form.

_'He can't be dead. He just can't be dead…I haven't even apologized to him! He doesn't know how I feel. Oh god, oh god, oh god…I've been an idiot…'_

Ten minutes, later she found herself pacing outside the hospital wing, desperately waiting for her turn to visit. Madame Pomfrey had insisted only two visitors at a time, and currently Sirius and Peter were taking their turn.

Sirius had insisted they should be allowed to go first as "We're actually on speaking terms with him. Unlike other people…" making Lily feel thoroughly ashamed.

She wondered vaguely why Remus wasn't with them. Wandering farther down the hall, so as not to be a sitting kneazle for an attack by Peeves, she found out.

Remus was sitting alone against the cold stonewall, hands propped upon his knees looking thoughtful.

"Hey Remus," she greeted softly. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all…" he responded, giving her a sad kind of smile

The two sat in silent reflection together before Lily spoke.

"So I guess we're both in something of a dilemma, hmm?"

He nodded, looking even more perplexed. "But your dilemma seems a bit easier to remedy. Which is what you're here to do, I'm sure?"

Lily shook her head yes. "When I saw him falling today, all I could think was _'What if he dies not knowing how I feel?'_ I could have cursed myself for being such a prat."

"Well, I'm glad one of us can have what we so desperately pine for."

"You could have it too, Remus."

The young werewolf laughed bitterly. "Things are a little more complicated for me, Lily."

"No, they're not. Tell her the truth. It's as simple as that."

"You…you know? About my…condition?"

"Yes, and I'm telling you Gwen will understand. It's lying to her for the past six months you'll have to worry about…"

"No," Remus denied. "She could never love a...well...someone like me"

"Remus—no, look at me---Remus, you are the most intelligent, kind, unselfish person I have ever met. You are the best friend a person could ask for, and Gwen is in love with _you_. She sees what inside the heart, not anything as superficial as a little thing like lycanthropy."

Remus stared into Lily's honest green eyes, as sad yet determined look on his face.

"Thank you, Lily. You see the good in others, even when they can't see it in themselves."

With that Remus got up from his spot on the floor, indicating Lily to follow, and walked purposefully to the infirmary door.

"Sirius! Peter! Get out here! There are other people who'd like to visit you know!"

A few seconds later a disgruntled Sirius came out, Peter in tow. Spotting Lily still waiting, he eyed Remus warily.

"You called us out so _she_ could talk to him?"

"Don't be such a git, Sirius," Remus said, giving him a half smile, indicating all was well.

"Oh, go bite yourself, Remus," Sirius smirked.

"Oh go boil your heads, the both of you", Lily said squeezing her way between them to enter the room.

Lily walked slowly over to James's bed, recognizing his by the mess of dark hair played across the stark white pillows.

James sat up quickly upon seeing Lily, then winced and touched a spot on the back of his head.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked coldly.

Lily faltered at the icy tone of his voice.

"I—I wanted to see if you were all right…"

"Oh, right," James rolled his eyes. "It would be tragic if the head boy was unable to complete his duties…"

"No…not the head boy. My friend."

James turned and looked into her face, and really looked into her eyes for the first time in weeks. His face softened and he smiled slightly. Or at least gave the best impression he could of a smile, with so many bruises marking up his face.

With a smile Lily leaned down and wrapped her arms lightly around him.

"I missed you." She said softly in his ear.

**A/N:** So, how was the quidditch match?! It was particularly difficult to write, so please review and tell me if my toil was worth it!


	9. Together At Last

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything of the like…

**A/N**: I know it's been quite a while. A very long while. But I still get reviews on this story now and then, so I thought I would finally finish it. Hope you enjoy! I think I've been reading too many romance novels, because this is full of romantic cheese. Ah well…Also, if you have read this story before, and just want to read the end, you may wanna brush up on the last couple of chapters, because there are a lot of references to them, humor wise.

**Seeking You**

_**Together At Last**_

Friends with Lily again. He couldn't believe it. It was like air, like water, like food to a starving man, like-

"Toadstools!"

Toadstools?

"Oi, James! You're burning the toadstools!"

"Sorry, Padfoot. I guess my mind wandered." James lowered the flames on his cauldron. The Marauders were sitting in Potions the Monday after James' little Quidditch accident.

"Well keep your eye on the quaffle now, yeah? Or soon I'll have to start working." Sirius glanced glowered darkly at James, as if he couldn't believe his friend's audacity.

"Oh, and that would be tragic." James added a pinch of powdered snake fang to his potion and watched it turn a deep orange. Orange, like Lily's hair. Lily who missed him...as a friend. Or maybe more? He glanced over at her to find Lily staring at him through the steam of her cauldron. He caught her eye and winked before she turned away, blushing furiously.

Oh yeah, _definitely_ more.

Not that he was going to do anything about it. Nope. That had not gone over well in the past. They would just be friends.

"James, stop staring at Lily," Sirius scolded.

"I'm not staring! Because we're just friends, Padfoot. _Friends_."

"So you no longer have romantic feelings for her?"

"Well, I mean…that is to say…" James muttered. "No…"

"So you're going to focus on your potion instead of on the red head across the way?"

"Yes," James spat defiantly.

"Not on the way she runs her fingers through her hair when she's frustrated?"

James felt his eyes itching to look over at her tousled locks, but instead stared fixedly down at his cauldron, his imagination already in overdrive.

"Or the way she bites her lip when she doesn't know the answer?"

"No," James croaked, grabbing a measuring cup in an attempt to waylay his more than friendly thoughts at the mention of Lily's lips.

"So when she's sitting down and her skirt comes up just a little…"

Against his will James found his eyes roving over Lily's exposed legs.

Sirius shook his head. "Easier said than done, eh, mate?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Lily!" Gwen called catching up the Head Girl on the way to dinner.

"Oh, hey, Gwen. What's up?"

"When are you going to put James out of his misery and ask him out?"

"Shh!" Lily reprimanded, pulling her friend into a deserted classroom. "What are you on about! Trying to let the whole of Hogwarts onto my love int--…my feel—my…"

"Oh, just say it Lily. Your love interest. And all of Hogwarts already does know."

"What?" Lily sputtered. "How?"

"Well, the staring is a bit of a give-away…"

"I don't stare! I just glance a bit…perhaps too often…"

"You stare. But it's okay! Who wouldn't stare at such a hot dish? If Remus hadn't stopped being such an oaf and told me about his lycanthropy, you would have competition!"

Relieved to have something to talk about other than her own love life, Lily pounced on this fact. "So Remus told you! That's great! You guys really are perfect for each other, you know."

"Yes, we are," Gwen said dreamily. "And he told me how you knocked some sense into him about telling me. Thank you. Now I'm returning the favor. Ask James out, Lily. Talk about the perfect couple. He's hoof over horn in love with you, and you can barely restrain yourself from throwing yourself at his lips every time you see him. So put the rest of Hogwarts out of their misery and give the guy a break!"

Lily sunk onto an overturned bucket, defeated. "You're right, I know…but how! I've been rejecting him for so many years, I can't even imagine how to approach him! And after that love letter disaster…"

Gwen sunk down adjacent to her friend. "I see your dilemma. Hmm…Well, write him one, then."

"I'm sorry, did you just say to write James a love letter?"

"Yes."

"Are you _mad_!"

"Not usually. And I really think this is a good idea. Tell him how you really feel through a letter and leave it for him to find after dinner. Tell him to meet you somewhere after he reads it. If he shows, it means he wants you. If not, you don't get rejected in person. Plus, he's not likely to believe any declarations of love that come from your mouth, so…" Gwen finished.

"Yes, I see your point."

"So, are you going to do it?"

Lily pondered for a moment, a determined look crossing her face. "Yes, yes I am. And I know just the place to meet."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

James returned to his room after dinner, utterly exhausted, and collapsed onto his bed. Lily had been acting so strangely. She could hardly meet his eyes, and she left ages before everyone else. She was up to something. Flopping his head on his pillow to ponder this idea further, James was surprised to find a crisp piece of parchment beneath his cheek. What the--?

The envelope was addressed to him, and he opened it to reveal a letter in neat, curvy penmanship. It looked an awful lot like Lily's, but…puzzled, he read the letter.

_Dear James,_

_I always considered myself to be fairly eloquent at composing "fancy words and poetry" as you put it. But as I sit here trying to write this, I can see how you ran into trouble._

_As I reread the letter that caused that horrid rift between us, I can't help but smile at it. How I ever doubted its sincerity, I do not know, for it is so clearly James. (And maybe that's why). But I think there's something you deserve to know, too._

_You are constantly on my mind. My own dreams are haunted by your hazel eyes and wicked smile. Every nerve cell on my body screams to be near you. And it's not just your adorably messy hair that gets me either. It's the way your eyes light up when you see me, and the way you always try to make me smile no matter how hard I resist. It's because of the way you tell jokes to cheer me up everyone around you, even if you're not having a great day yourself. But mostly, it's because of the way you look at me when I've made you happy. And, well, I don't know about eating Snape's underwear, but I would do almost anything to see that look every day. _

_Maybe I can predict the future, even though I didn't know it. For my heart, James, belongs to you. Meet me at the statue of Gregory the Smarmy._

_Yours,_

_Lily_

James was out the door before he was even aware his feet were moving. The scenery of the castle was a blur to him as he sprinted through the corridors. He rounded the corner to the corridor of Gregory's statue at nearly flying speed, thoughts racing through his head. Was this a joke? Did Lily really have…_feelings_…for him? He finally spotted her flaming red hair half hidden behind the statue.

"Lily? What's going on! That letter—"

"Shh," said Lily, successfully quieting James when her finger touched his lips. "James…when I saw you fall off your broom I—well, I couldn't imagine life without you—"

"That's why we're friends now, Lils—"

"James—"

"Why would you want to ruin that with a joke letter—"

"_James_—"

"—or is it a joke? I can never tell—"

But James' words fled from his mind when a pair of soft lips caressed his. In fact, every thought seemed to have left his head except for one. He was kissing Lily. She tasted better than he ever could have imagined. He dared not move, lest this glorious moment was the dream of all dreams. It wasn't until he felt her cherry mouth leaving his that he remembered he should be a participant in the event.

James pulled Lily's form flush to his and her moan of approval spurring him on as he deepened the kiss. It was then his turn to moan when Lily threaded her fingers through his hair, urging him deeper into her sinful mouth.

And gods, was her mouth sinful…Who knew the Head Girl concealed so much passion?

The couple engaged in kiss after mind bending kiss, until after an indefinite amount of time, James felt his passionate partner pull away. He tried to follow her lips, never wanting this passionate moment to end.

"James," Lily said.

She was speaking? Why was she speaking? He willed some of the blood back to his brain and took a step back from her intoxicating scent in an attempt to comprehend her words.

"Does it feel like we're just friends?" she finished.

"Ugh…no," James managed to grunt, still fighting the urge to pin her up against the wall and have his way with her.

"So do you think maybe we should be more? Maybe a…a…couple?"

"Merlin, yes," and with that, James let go of his mental leash and pinned Lily to the stone behind her, letting her know just how great an idea he thought that was.

**A/N**- Yay, the end! Well almost. I'm going to post a short epilogue, so as not to end it so abruptly. Let me know if you want it!


	10. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP

**A/N:** The official end. I can't believe how long it's taken me, but ah well…

**Seeking You**

_**Epilogue**_

Lily sometimes wondered if it was possible for lips to fall off from smiling too much. If it was, she was in some serious trouble. She snuggled closer to James as they walked down a corridor, burying her head in his shoulder in attempt to hide the grin that screamed of her happiness. In response, James kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm more tightly around her in a blatant show of possession.

They were on their way to the Great Hall for the Leaving Feast, but they had gotten a little…distracted, along the way, when they passed by a deserted broom closet that seemed to be calling their names. James covered her in kisses within the confines of the dark cupboard as the rest of the school stormed to the Great Hall in anticipation of the end of school festivities. As a result, they were now the only students left in the deserted halls of Hogwarts, and they were in no rush to remedy that situation. Hence the danger of her lips falling off.

James was currently leading her down a dark, deserted hallway, and his large hand intertwined with her smaller one. When her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she realized they were now in a corridor that held a dear place in her heart. As the pair approached the statue of Gregory the Smarmy, James pulled her behind it and pinned her to the cold, stone wall. He had one hand above her head, and the other was twisting a lock of her long crimson hair. Lily shivered , but her shivers had nothing to do with the temperature of the wall…

"James don't!" Lily said playfully, wrapping her arms around his well-muscled shoulders. "We'll be late for the feast and…"

Lily wasn't able to finish her however, as James' perfectly shaped lips swooped down and captured her own. A soft moan escaped her lips as James deepened the kiss and—

"James, stop!" Lily ripped her lips from his and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with shock.

"What's the matter?" James asked, clearly put off by her demand.

"It's my vision! We just lived my vision…"

"That day in Divination you really did have a vision, then?"

"Yes. I thought it was a load of dragon dung, but here we are…That vision is why I told you to meet me at this statue, you know, the day we…"

"Declared our love for each other?"

"You…you…_love _me, James?"

"'Course I do," James said, caressing Lily's soft cheek. "Why do you think I held out so long for you?"

"Honestly, I just thought you were a bit dim…"

"Oh,Thanks…"

"But I'm glad that you did."

"Yeah? 'Cuz honestly, I was thinking you were a bit dim since it took you so long to realize you were madly in love with me."

"Oh, I'm in love with you, am I?"

"Well, yeah," James looked hesitantly at Lily, looking like a lost pigmy puff in the middle of the Sahara desert. "Aren't you?"

Lily looked him up and down, from his too messy black hair to his untied shoelaces, finally landing on his bright hazel eyes, which at the moment were shining with uncertainty. "Yeah…Yeah, I suppose I am in love with you…"

Once more her lips formed the smile that wouldn't stop, and this time, James had one to match.

"You know, it's funny," James reminisced. "When I first started out as Seeker for Gryffindor, I thought I could catch anything. But since fifth year, you've been dodging every tactic I knew. I guess now I've accomplished my biggest challenge to date...

"Oh, and what is that?" Lily grinned.

"Seeking you."

**A/N**: The end! Yay!


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